6 MONTH OUT  

Jan. 5 2015

I´m not going to lie its hard to think that I'm already through 1/4 the mission and I don't know how to feel, if the mission is going by fast or if it feels like I've been out for a while! It's like both at the same time. I feel sooooooo different from how I did when I first got here! 

The work is good, Javier and Diana are still working on the marriage stuff but are loving the church! I really hope i get the honor to see him get baptized and then in a year or so I would have the chance to see their family enter the temple! That would be amazing!

Edison is keeping up the good work with staying away from alcohol and says he is doing well with the reading and praying. He finally came to church with us but after sacrament meeting he said he was hungry and told us he was going to go home to grab something to eat and then come back. We tried to get him to stay but he ran out too fast and he never came back... So we´ll keep working with him a little more. 

But I survived the new year and made it without getting blown up! These people do so many fireworks, but more popular are just these super loud bombs things! We were going to get some rest before 12 but it was useless cuz it was so loud here! We went to the top of our building at 12 and saw the fireworks.  it was cool because we could see all of Duran and over in Guayaquil off in the distance.(Baylee, I hope you didn't kiss more than one guy for New Years, that's the limit) Then it was like a miracle because about ten minutes after midnight it was like Ecuador went dead, and we got our sleep in. Then on the 1st we had a Pday and the streets were EMPTY. Which is weird because so many people live here! (It was a good day)  But yeah nothing too much more. just about to head to Guayaquil with Andres Clavijo, a sick member. He´s gonna show us around and whats good here.

Chao!!!

Love, Elder Rawson

  

We helped the bishop move houses

I'm the ref:)

New Comp 

 Jan. 12, 2015

So just got done with transfers today and my comp Elder Cook se fue,  joining me now in Panorama is Elder Maynor Josue Guzman from Honduras. I love him already, he´s a hard worker with so much love for the Lord. He is also now the district leader too. He is Latino but lived in Timpanogas for 6 years and went to Lone Peak. I´m excited because with a Latino comp that knows English will be the best to help me perfect mi español:) We´ll do some great work together here! 

This week on Saturday was Elder Cook´s birthday and the ward did a cool little get together at the church with cake after the stake conference. Which stake conference was awesome as well! President Riggins spoke and I swear he´s like a celebrity here because he is so powerful when he talks. We also had Elder Alarcón from the seventy come and he was great as well. Speaks with a soft voice but also powerful as well. This week was a little slow on the work but I think Elder Guzman and I can turn that around. 

But one thing I got out of conference was something pretty cool. One sister was talking about love and the spirit told me a little lesson. I thought of the scripture in James 2, Faith without works is dead. And I thought why should that apply to Love? And that´s when the spirit told me and Love with out Service is dead. Its kind of true. Charity is the pure love of Christ and Charity work is basically lending service. So I hope that all sticks with you this week. (and yes, to me, hugs are service:) so go hug everyone you see!)

Old Companion->New Companion

 My convert junior and Pres Riggins at Stake conference (blurry, sorry)

Iguana Park with Andres Clavijo last week

The iguanas let you touch them and stuff:)

Nada mas

El Élder Rawson:)

Leave it to Dillon to climb trees in his nice clothes...UHG!!  I guess he'll learn to sew when he rips his pants maybe!!!

Looks like he's enjoying the rain!!!

HAHAHA...Im pretty sure that's what Dillon was doing or saying since it hit his comps face instead of his!!

The church house has been taken over by huge crickets, I think he said his house also...YUCK!!! He sent a video of inside and in closets and they are everywhere!!

                                                                   Dillon hard at work...

Or Hardly working???

FIRST TRANSFER

Jan. 26, 2015

Sad to say goodbye to Panorama and the members and sad for me (his mom) too!  They have all been so sweet and done so much for both of us!   

Jan. 26, 2015

So last night we got the big phone call saying that I'm getting transferred! It was pretty tough this morning saying by to all the members of Panorama. They were like my family. They really babied me through my times of adjusting to the mission life with the good food, air conditioning, cars to take us around. But we went to the terminal where I found out I'm going to Quevedo.  A city like 4 hours from Guayaquil. Basically I'm going from one end of the mission to the other! I'm going to the ward of San Comilo, i think its spelled.. Its actually the exact same area that elder Cook, my trainer, was in when he started the mission! All the missionaries talk about how great Quevedo is so I'm stoked to see how it is! I had a good time with Elder Guzman from San Pedro Sula, Honduras with the 2 weeks we had together. He was a goof, I swear we were never bored together! 

Right now I'm in Guayaquil. I had to go to the office to wait for a missionary that is running late,  he needs somebody to travel to Quevedo with so I´m waiting for him. Some other Elders and I walked from the office to the mall to grab something to eat and I didn't know we would have time to write so i left my camera at the office so no pics this week! Which is a shame cuz me and Elder Guzman snapped some sick ones together!   

I don´t have too much more on my mind so I guess I will just share a little thought.

¨By small and simple things are great things come to pass¨ I think that's what it says in English..

Well until next week! chao!!!

El Élder Rawson

(He ended up finding some time to get back on after he got his camera so there is pictures for this week, YEA for me)!

North and South mission offices right next door